Compression-release



G. A. GOEKE.

COMPRESSION RELEASE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1919.

1,343,501 atented un 15, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMPRESSION-RELEASE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15,153.20.

Application filed September 23, 1919. Serial No. 325,791.

use particularly in connection with the well known Fairbanks, Morse engine, it will be of course understood that it may be employed in connection with whatever specific engine it maybe adaptable to.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple apparatus that may be attached by persons of moderate skill and which may be employed for holding inwardly or in open position, the intake valve of the engine, during the cranking or starting operation, thus preventing burning of the operator as now occurs when the valve is held open with the hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved and eflicient means for holding the valve open during the operation of timing the engine. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side view showing generally an explosive engine equipped with the pres ent invention, parts of the engine being omitted, as forming no part of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view partly broken away, showing the attachment disassociated from the engine, the U-shaped guide being illustrated in section with the spring latch in position. to hold the lever inoperative.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the guide and the latch, on the line -33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lever.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown at 5. the body of an explosive engine having the usual exhaust pipe 6 and the usual inlet valve, the stem 7 of which extends exteriorly of the engine proper and is held yieldably in such position by means of the helical spring 8. It is this valve stem 7 that is pressed inwardly to release the compression during the operation of cranking of the engine, either in initially starting it or in the timing of it and it is for pressing this valve stem inwardly, that the present apparatus is designed.

The present attachment includes a lever comprising the upper straight portion 9, the lower portion extending outwardly at an angle as shown at 10, then downwardly and parallel with the portion 9 as shown at 11 and. then back at right angles beneath the portion 10 as shown at 12. The lever is formed of a round resilient metal rod and the extreme end portion of the part 12 is flattened and is bent to form an eye 13 that in practice is disposed to snugly receive the exhaust pipe 6, the material of the eye being held clamped upon the exhaust pipe by a bolt 14 passed through the overlapped metal at the base of the eye.

Through the portion 11 is a perforation 15 in which is disposed a bolt 16 the head of which is arranged directly opposite the outer end of the valve stem 7, there being j am nuts 17 engaged upon the bolt and which are screwed up against the portion 11 of the lever at opposite sides, to hold the bolt securely, it being understood ofcourse that these nuts permit of longitudinal adjustment of the bolt to properly position it longitudinally with respect to the valve stem.

With the above described construction, the lever when in unrestrained position, tends to stand erect with the presser pin or bolt 16 against the stem of the intake valve to hold it open, the resiliency of the lever being such that it will return to this position it permitted after being swung to position to move the pin away from the intake valve stem.

It is of course important that while this attachment will hold the intake valve open when in use under the conditions described, it is equally important that the attachment be not operative in the normal running of the engine. To hold the lever with its presser bolt or pin inactive, there is employed a latch consisting of a flat or leaf spring 18 of are shape in its central portion, one end of this spring being turned abruptly up wardly as shown at 19 and riveted or otherwise secured to the upper end portion of the resilient lever. The other end portion of the leaf spring extends outwardly from the corn tral portion and at right angles to the part 19. as shown at 20. The portion 20 is provided with a slot 21 that extends longitudilever nally and centrally of it for a part of its length. A U-shaped guide plate has its bight portion 21 secured to the upper surface of the engine by means of a screw 22 passed through it and into the engine, the head of the screw having its side face beveled with an undercut 23, for a purpose to be presently explained.

The slot 21 in the spring plate 18 results in the formation of spaced fingers 24 and 25 and this slot, the fingers, the head of the screw 22 and the spacing of the arms 26 of the U-shaped plate, are so proportioned that when the lever is drawn with its push belt or pin awayfrom the valve stem 7, the fingers 24c and 25 will rest upon the bight portion 21 of the guide plate at opposite sides of the screw head and when the lever is moved forwardly to press the valve stem 7 inwardly, the 'unslotted part of the portion 20 of the spring plate 18 will rest upon the screw head. The metal of the spring plate 7 18 at the inner end of the slot 21, is beveled as shown at 27 to correspondto the bevel 23 while the plate 18 is under such tension that when the upper end of the lever is drawn away from the engine, the portion 20 of the spring plate will snap down onto the bight portion 21 of the U-shaped guide and if the be then released, the spring plate will be moved by the lever because of the resiliency of the latter, to engage the beveled face 27 under the bevel face 23. The spring latch plate will then hold the lever retracted against the influence of working vibrations and other influences that would otherwise throw the lever forwardly to open the suction valve.

lVhen it is desired that the lever will move forwardly to engage its presser or push bolt or pin with the intake valve stem, it is only necessary that the lever be given an initial outward movement to draw the bevel face 27 from under the bevel face 23, that the freed end of the latch spring plate be then raised slightly and that the lever be then released,

- when the unslotted part of the portion 20 of the latch plate will slide upon the head of the screw and between the arms of the U- shaped guide plate. When the intake valve is to be released, it is only necessary to again draw the lever rearwardly, when the spring latch plate will move into its active position.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an explosive engine and a valve thereof, of a resilient lever plate at the connected with the engine, a push pin carried by the lever in position to engage and open the valve under the influence of resilient action of the lever, and means for holding the lever at times stressed and with its push pin inoperative.

2. The combination with an explosive engine and a valve thereof of a resilient lever having means to engage and hold the valve open in one position of the lever, and means for holding the lever with its engaging means inactive, the lever being movable under the influence of its resiliency to actuate its valve holding means when released from its lever holding means.

3. The combination wlth an explosive engine and a valve thereof, of a resilient lever having a clamping eye at one end engaged about a corresponding member of the engine, a presser pin carried by the lever in position to engage and press the valve t0 open position with the lever in normal position, a spring plate attached to the lever, and a stop carried by for contact of the spring plate normally against it, the spring plate being adapted to ride at times upon the stop, to position the lever with its pin actively engaging the stem of said valve. I

4:. The combination with an explosive engine having a valve, of a lever having means to engage and press the valve to open position upon movement of the lever to one position, a U-shaped guide plate upon the engine having a projection from its bight por tion spaced. from its sides, the side of the projection in the direction of the lever being undercut, and a spring plate attached to the lever at one end and having its other slotted partway of itslength and disposed within the guide, the portions of the spring sides of its slot being adapted to rest upon the bight of the guide with the metal of the spring plate at the inner end of the slot against the undercut face of the stop when the lever is in position with its presser means inactive and the spring plate being adapted to ride upon the stop upon movement of the lever withits presser pin in. action.

g In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. GOEKE.

Witnesses G. E. HAMMER, O. H. BURNETT.

the engine in position 

